


What You Thought Lost

by Sanalith



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-21
Updated: 2012-12-21
Packaged: 2017-11-21 22:09:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/602605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sanalith/pseuds/Sanalith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the prompt: "After Sarah solves the labyrinth, Jareth sends her an interesting Christmas present." She finds herself suddenly and without warning in possession of something she never thought she'd ever have again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What You Thought Lost

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PotionsMistressM](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PotionsMistressM/gifts).



> Lyrics are from [The Lost Christmas Eve](http://grooveshark.com/s/The+Lost+Christmas+Eve/1fRld?src=5) by Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

_“And somehow we start to believe  
In the night and the dream as it cuts through the noise   
With the whisper of snow as it starts to deploy  
In the depths of a night that’s about to begin  
With the feeling of snow as it melts on your skin  
And it covers the land with a dream so intense  
That it returns us all to child’s innocence  
And then what you thought lost  
And could never retrieve  
Is suddenly there to be found on Christmas Eve.”_  
~ “The Lost Christmas Eve,” Trans-Siberian Orchestra

 

Though she’d only lived for 15 years – a relatively short time in the grand scheme of things, she knew – Sarah had learned many important life lessons. The first, and one that stuck with her for the rest of her life, was how difficult it was to be a realistic dreamer.

The way she surrounded herself with fantasy and whimsy, the way she threw herself into her pageants and plays, everyone around her assumed she’d lost her grip on reality long ago. The truth was far more simple – she used these tools to escape what she _knew_ was mundane, boring, completely ordinary reality. She read fairytales and stories filled with magic and mystery exactly because she knew such things _didn’t_ exist in her world.

And then she’d made a wish, and the door between her world and the next suddenly threw itself wide open, and her entire perception had been rocked on its axis.

Against all odds, true magic had appeared in her life, and she had absolutely no idea what to do.

She knew she could never talk to anyone about it. That was for sure and certain. At least her father and Karen only _thought_ she lived in a dream world filled with pixies and magicians. There was no reason to prove them right. She supposed she could go to see some sort of therapist or counselor. If nothing else, such a person would be bound to secrecy. But they’d try to convince her it was some sort of delusion or dream, because of _course_ magic wasn’t real. Babies weren’t stolen away by goblins, and innocent maidens were not tossed into life-size mazes. She was not Alice, and there was no Wonderland.

Except that there was, and no amount of denying it would change that fact.

The first few months after her journey passed swiftly for Sarah. She tried to focus on other things. She threw herself into her school work and attempted to stay as busy as possible, in order to keep her mind from wandering. She even spent more time with her family, which she knew worried her father and made Karen suspicious, but it was better that than being alone and thinking too hard.

It wasn’t that she wanted to forget her experience. Far from it. But now, for _right now_ , she simply had no way to process it properly, and she needed some distance.

That seemed to work well…until Christmas came along.

Sarah had always enjoyed the holiday season. It always made her somewhat sad, since many of her best memories revolved around her mother, but even that couldn’t fully dampen the joy permeating the city around her. It made her feel fresh, rejuvenated, like the world was beginning anew.

But this year, it had a somewhat different effect.

Christmas was a time for belief, a time when miracles might occur, when magic truly walked the world. The dreams and wishes of children brought light into what were supposed to be the darkest days of the year. Anything and everything was suddenly possible.

In the past, Sarah had always smiled at the innocence of youth. She remembered fondly what it was like to write letters to Santa Claus and leave him cookies and milk in the hopes that she would find something special under the tree the next morning. While she no longer believed in such things, she was still glad others did. Belief was a precious gift, one that time and age took away all too soon.

And it was a gift that, suddenly and without warning, had been inexplicably returned to her.

Magic was real. Truly, completely real. She’d experienced it, felt it, _lived_ it. And if the Labyrinth existed, who knew what else was lurking just beyond the veil of the so-called real world? If Goblin Kings existed, could she now say with complete certainty that the “fictitious” entities of her childhood were false? Could she ever say again that _anything_ was actually impossible? There very thought was awe-inspiring, not to mention a little scary. 

Sarah no longer knew what to believe. And perhaps that was the entire point.

In many ways, Jareth had taken what was left of her innocence. He’d forced her to look at herself and truly judge the person she’d become, knowing she’d dislike what she beheld. She could no longer afford to throw temper tantrums at her step-mother and blame little Toby for sins not of his making. It was time she grew up and took responsibility for herself, and she was glad of that.

But ironically enough, he’d also returned part of that innocence back to her by opening her eyes and making her _believe_ once again.

Such a precious, fragile gift, one that could be taken away with a thoughtless word. Belief was only as strong as the person who held it, and she’d been admittedly weak in that respect. But now she had no choice but to believe. To do otherwise was to deny her own experiences, and though she could no doubt eventually convince herself it had all been a dream, that would be a disservice not only to her new friends, but to herself.

Magic was real. The world was filled with limitless possibilities. And it was beautiful.

And so when Christmas Eve rolled around, Sarah found herself curled up on a window seat long after the rest of her family had gone to bed, her eyes locked on a bright, flickering star.

Honestly, there was probably no fat man in a red suit waiting to slide down her chimney with presents. But for the first time in nearly 10 years, she allowed herself to believe that there _was_ someone who embodied the spirit of Christmas. Someone who brought peace and love and joy to everyone he encountered. Someone who truly did bring magic into the world, even if only for one night.

She could ask for no more precious a gift than that.

Sarah felt herself slip off to sleep as the star blurred before her eyes, and just before darkness claimed her, she swore she saw a snowy owl take flight from the large tree just outside her window.

“Thank you, Jareth,” she whispered.


End file.
